Training Champions for Christ since 1971 | Media Kit

Welcome to Liberty University; the world’s largest Christian university. Founded in 1971, Liberty’s mission from the

outset was to create a world-class university for evangelical Christians, similar to what Notre Dame provides for Catholic

young people and what Brigham Young University provides for Mormon youth. The goals for Liberty included academic

excellence, NCAA Division I athletics, and the same facilities and programs found at any major secular university. We

would maintain a distinctively Christian environment with a code of conduct rooted in Biblical morality and a faculty

populated exclusively by committed Christians who view teaching as a calling, not just a job. While many universities

in the New World were originally founded with similar goals, Liberty’s academic and athletic achievements, coupled

with an unwavering commitment to its vision — Training Champions for Christ to positively impact the world in every

profession — make Liberty unique.

Liberty’s unique character is evidenced by its doctrinal statement rooted in the fundamentals of the Christian

faith as well as a deep and abiding respect for this nation’s founding principles of limited government, individual

liberties, and free enterprise. Our faculty is committed to integrating biblical truth in all disciplines while fostering a

learning environment that encourages students to explore competing philosophies and worldviews. Liberty’s faculty

promotes academic freedom and the free expression of ideas over the political correctness that seems to hold sway

at many major universities.

Liberty has grown rapidly in recent years because of its uniqueness. This year alone, Liberty is adding over 50 new

academic programs in response to students’ needs. Liberty has now joined a very exclusive list of universities that can

claim to offer an ABA-accredited law school, an engineering and computational sciences school with ABET-accredited

programs, a cinematic arts school, an aviation program, a seminary, and a medical school (opening Fall 2014).

Liberty has been a pioneer of adult education, offering a distance learning program since 1985. Liberty University Online

grew out of that pioneering program and has become the largest private, nonprofit online university in the nation. With

over 82,000 students enrolled online and over 12,000 on campus, Liberty is the seventh largest university in the nation,

the largest private, nonprofit university in the nation, and the largest university in Virginia. This achievement has drawn

Liberty into the national spotlight and created significant interest in our business model, which some

believe could transform higher education in the U.S. We strive to create an environment where

teaching excellence is provided through a unique blend of traditional and online delivery. Our

model defies current trends in U.S. higher education, keeping tuition and fees affordable while

building financial strength without subsidies from taxpayers.

Financial services companies have written about Liberty’s growth and financial stability.

Moody’s Investors Service, which gave our taxable bonds an “A1” rating, cited our

Chancellor Jerry Falwell, Jr.and his wife, Becki

“uncommonly strong operating performance.” Standard & Poor’s, while rating our bonds “AA,” anticipated that Liberty “will

continue to enjoy strong student demand with a successful brand centered on an evangelical Christian identity and attractive

pricing for a nonprofit private university.” In December 2012, Liberty became the first evangelical Christian university to surpass

$1 billion in net assets. At Commencement last May, I illustrated the significance of this achievement by comparing it to Harvard

University, who only reached the same milestone in 1965 — after 329 years of existence.As we move forward in 2013 and beyond, Liberty’s mission of Training Champions for Christ will continue to be pervasive

throughout every endeavor undertaken by the university. I hope your visit to campus will provide a glimpse into the life-changing

atmosphere that our students experience every day.If you have any questions about campus, Liberty’s mission, or our plans for the future, please contact our media office at

(434) 582-2250 or visit our website at www.Liberty.edu/PressKit.Thank you for visiting Liberty University.

Jerry Falwell, Jr. Chancellor and President

° Videos ° Photos for download ° Quotes, Newsfeed ° Doctrinal statement and other Liberty distinctives ° Extensive background information and full history Through this website, you can also request an interview.

We recommend that you also visitwww.Liberty.edu/PressKit

More information is available in this complete online press kit:

Training Champions for ChrisT sinCe 1971

The vision was to found a world-class Christian university. And it started with one man.

In 1971, Pastor Jerry Falwell, Sr. challenged his congregation at Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg, Va. to establish a Christian college.

Falwell’s dream became a reality that fall when 154 students arrived for their first day at the newly established Lynchburg Baptist College. Classes were held in the educational buildings of the church. The entire staff consisted of four full-time faculty members and several unpaid, part-time faculty members. Small houses across the street from the church were purchased and turned into residence halls.

Believing that Candlers Mountain was the only tract of land large enough to accommodate the great campus he had envisioned, Falwell approached the company that owned the property, asking if it was for sale. He received an answer that became characteristic of many moments in the story of the Liberty miracle. “Strange that you should ask,” the executive told Falwell. “Just days ago we decided to sell the exact piece of land you need.” After writing a check for the earnest money, Falwell shook hands and added as he headed for the door, “By the way, please don’t cash the check for a few days. We don’t have any money right now, but we’ll get it!”

Through those founding years, students and faculty were inspired to influence the moral and ethical course of America. Subsequently, the school’s name officially changed to Liberty Baptist College in 1975 and the colors were changed to red, white, and blue.

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The Story of Liberty

Construction began on Liberty Mountain in 1977.

In 1977, construction of the first buildings began on what was soon to be known as Liberty Mountain.

By 1985, the school had become recognized as a fully-accredited university, and was adding programs and garnering recognition from both mainstream culture and the world of academia. Distance learning was also pioneered that year, launching what is now known as Liberty University Online.

Challenges and TransiTion

The next decade proved especially rocky for the young university, as a wave of financial struggles threatened its very existence. Falwell brought his son and current chancellor, Jerry Falwell, Jr., on board to help orchestrate a new business model and financial turnaround.

Falwell, Jr. met the challenge and convinced lenders that this young college (not even 20 years old) could repay the loans they were seeking. Significant contributions bolstered the financial restructuring. In 2003, Falwell, Jr. was named vice chancellor. In 2004, the owners of Hobby Lobby donated to the school a mammoth manufacturing plant destined to become an academic and administrative complex (Green Hall).

With its finances turning the corner, the university moved forward with an ambitious plan to increase the size of the residential and online programs. Behind the scenes, Falwell, Sr. made plans for what would be his final gift to his beloved school: a multi-million dollar life insurance policy on himself, with Liberty named as beneficiary. When Dr. Falwell passed away in 2007, Liberty inherited the gift of becoming debt-free for the first time in its history.

Jerry Falwell, Jr., now chancellor and president, stepped up to fill his father’s shoes and took the podium during Commencement 2007, just days after his father’s passing. Looking out at the graduates and their families, he proclaimed, “We have prepared for this transition for 15 years or more. All is well at Liberty.”

Indeed, all was well. Over the next five years, Liberty grew exponentially in facilities and programs and in finances and influence. Enrollment increased from 9,600 to more than 12,500 residential students and from 27,000 to more than 80,000 online students. Net assets increased from approximately $100 million in 2007 to over $1 billion in 2012, making it the youngest nonprofit university in American history to reach this milestone. Liberty Mountain not only grew to include of a multitude of new world-class facilities, but bolstered its existing campus with premium renovations and upgrades.

Today on liberTy mounTain

The extensive developments of the last five years will be followed by a long list of new facilities and improvements by the end of the decade. The $50 million Jerry Falwell Library, slated for completion in early 2014, will be Liberty’s largest investment in one structure to date. Two additional buildings, a School of Music and a Science Hall, are currently in the planning stages, projected to add an additional 200,000 square feet of academic space to campus.

Preparing for another wave of enrollment growth, high-rise residence halls will replace older structures, and sprawling lawns and green spaces will enhance the beauty of a campus that already features stunning views of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

For a full digital press kit (including photos, videos, and extensive background information) visit: www.Liberty.edu/PressKit

New intramural fields, a basketball practice facility, and a new baseball stadium are scheduled for completion soon. Construction has begun on the $40 million Center for Medical and Health Sciences, creating excitement and buzz about a facility projected to rival any medical school in the world.

“All of these buildings and programs are ultimately and primarily about building lives – the lives of our students and the lives of those they will impact,” Chancellor Falwell has repeated many times. The university is constantly monitoring job market trends, evaluating and adapting its programs accordingly, so that Liberty students have the tools they need to be prepared for the future.

The classroom is not the only arena where the chancellor’s leadership is pushing Liberty to new levels. In 2012, he

announced the football program’s readiness for a move into the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), which would have it competing at the top level of NCAA Division I football.

a Clear Vision for The fuTure

One of Chancellor Falwell’s priorities at Liberty has been to keep the university true to its roots and its Christian mission. He has implemented policies to ensure that the university does not follow the lead of so many American universities that were founded with Christian missions similar to Liberty’s, but later changed their missions as they achieved academic, athletic, and financial prominence.

Chancellor Falwell is also passionate about basing Liberty’s

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°1971• Lynchburg Baptist College is founded by Dr. Jerry Falwell

°1977• Construction begins on Liberty Mountain

°1980• Now known as Liberty Baptist College (LBC), the school receives full accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools

°1985• LBC becomes Liberty University• The distance learning program is launched• Construction begins on the Arthur S. DeMoss Learning Center

°1988• Liberty becomes the largest private university in Virginia

°1990• The Vines Center and Williams Stadium are completed.

°2004• Green Hall (the former Ericsson building) is donated to Liberty. The LaHaye Student Center and the Liberty School of Law open.www.Liberty.edu/PressKit

growth on a sound business model that builds financial reserves and continually increases the school’s financial resources to ensure the university’s future, while at the same time, insulating the university from the financial pressures that have directly or indirectly caused many universities to compromise their core beliefs over time.

“I believe that if Liberty continues to be a good steward of the resources God has provided us, the resulting financial strength will give us the ability to resist pressures to change our doctrinal statement or the values that are core to our mission.”

Wall Street investors have taken notice of the school’s financial standing and Liberty has received strong credit ratings that

place them among the nation’s highest-rated universities for financial strength. The school ranks as one of the most affordable private universities in the country, and is accessible to a new generation of students who might otherwise never attend a Christian college.

Today, the leadership is framing a vision for the future that ensures the university will remain on the cutting edge of higher education while staying true to the original charge.

There has never been a more exciting time for Liberty University. Methods are changing, momentum is building, but the mission —Training Champions for Christ — remains the same.

°2007• Jerry Falwell, Jr. becomes chancellor

°2008• Online program enrollment hits 25,000

• *Facility highlights: Lynchburg Inn and Conference Center, Tilley Student Center, Ivy Lake

°2009•*Facility highlights: Barnes & Noble Bookstore, Thomas Indoor Soccer Center, East Campus Residence Halls, Snowflex Centre

°2011• Total enrollment reaches 75,000

• *Facility highlights: The Sports Racket, Equestrian Center, Cook Tennis Center, Wards Road pedestrian bridge

°2010• Liberty’s tax-exempt education facilities bonds receive AA bond rating

• *Facility highlights: Tower Theater, Candlers Station shopping center, Williams Stadium expansion

°2012• First voting precinct opens on campus

• Net assets reach $1 billion, making Liberty the youngest nonprofit university in American history to reach this milestone

• *Facility highlights: Wingate hotel, Hancock Welcome Center, Arthur S. DeMoss Learning Center (top two floors finished; rooftop patio added)

*Facility highlights include selected properties and buildings acquired through donation or purchase, as well as those built or renovated by Liberty.

NEARLY 100,000RESIDENT & ONLINE STUDENTS

pioneering distance education

since 1985Liberty is now the nation’s

LARGESTprivate, nonprofit online educator

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206 residential programs | 166 online programs

5-time Big South Football Champions°

17 conference titles in the past two seasons°

10 Sasser Cup wins in 14 years°

31 club sports teams and a thrivingintramural program

NATION’S7th LARGEST

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Percentage of students defaulting on federal loans

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MILITARYFriendly

Recognized as a “military friendly” school by securing top spots in

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M O S T P O P U L A R C O L L E G E S

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600,000hours of communityservice donated by

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$342MILLIONeconomic impact

SaCSAccredited by

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools

Individual programs are alsoaccredited by specific

industry agencies

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Liberty University regularly invites speakers of global significance from every sphere of society to address its student body in a thrice-weekly Convocation – the largest weekly gathering of Christian young people in the world.

Convocation is a unique platform that allows students to be exposed to an array of inspirational and educational influences, including business-savvy CEO’s, Hollywood directors, politicians, preachers, and renowned psychologists.

The topics stimulate dialogue and sharpen inquisitive minds, as Liberty students learn to engage and discuss important issues of the day, not only in their individual areas of expertise, but all along the academic spectrum. Convocation invites participation in the global marketplace of ideas, and our students are stronger for it. Our goal is that Liberty graduates are not only proficient and on the cutting-edge of their own fields of study, but that they are well-rounded, educated, and knowledgeable on a variety of subjects.

Liberty University is dedicated to providing opportunities for students to engage new ideas, discovering and refining their faith, values, and worldview.

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global leaders engage liberTy sTudenTs

“At Liberty, we like to think we have a free exchange of ideas… It is [the students’] job to eat the fish and spit out the bones and to discern what is good advice and what is not. And if you don’t learn

that in college, when do you learn it?” chancellor Jerry Falwell, Jr.

Convocations are aired live on www.Liberty.edu/Streaming, The Liberty Channel, and the Liberty Today mobile app.Past Convocations can also be viewed at those locations, as well as Liberty’s YouTube channel.

“You’re in such a good place. You’re in a place where there has been a spiritual legacy and a heritage that

is being passed down to you, through so many who have invested their lives to teach the next generation.

You, you’re their hope. You’re their hope to walk into this world, and change this world.”

Kirk Cameron, actor/producer

“I believe this has become one of the

preeminent forums to discuss profound

issues...I can’t imagine a better place

in America … to have that kind of

conversation.”

Former House Speaker

Newt Gingrich

“This is an amazing school. …All over the world they are talking about it –

Liberty University, what they’ve done and in such a short time.”

Donald Trump, business mogul

“If heaven had a university, it would be Liberty. This

place is amazing.”

Karen Kingsbury, author, Liberty parent

“When I come to this campus, I am blown away — the largest Christian university in the world, with the most effective student body leaving from this place and going out to change the

world in every discipline imaginable. It is very true that the sun never sets on the graduates of

Liberty University across the world.”Former Gov. Mike Huckabee

Future site ofCENTER FOR MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES

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For a full digital press kit (including photos, videos, and extensive background information) visit: www.Liberty.edu/PressKit

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Liberty in the News

The neW yorK Times and CnbC reporT on flames fooTball

“At Liberty, once a tiny Bible college but now a budding giant, the plan is for college football — big-time, always-on-television college football — to do for evangelical Christians in the 21st

century what Notre Dame football did for Roman Catholics in the 20th.”

The new York times, nov. 11, 2012

The merits of Liberty University football have caught the eye of The New York Times and CNBC Sports. Recently showcased by both, Liberty is emerging as a contender,

looking to play — and play well — at the top level of NCAA Division I football: the gridiron of the FBS.

In a follow-up to that article, Darren Rovell, of CNBC’s “Sports Biz: Game On,” commented: “Liberty University wants a Division I football team so that others like (NFL quarterback Tim) Tebow can play at the highest level together.”

The New York Times hinted that the highest level might not be so far off. “Liberty’s locker rooms and training facilities resemble those of a top college program, if not one in the NFL,” the article boasted.

Liberty University is increasingly being drawn into the spotlight as the nation takes notice of its ever-growing sphere of influence. Onlookers are struck by the school’s success in every arena, its attractiveness to conservative leaders and presidential candidates, and its commitment to encouraging students’ involvement in influencing the course of their country and the world.

“the evangelical heart of the state”The Boston globe, Oct. 14, 2012

“one of the nation’s most influential citadels of Christian conservatism”

USa today, Sept. 17, 2012

“the spiritual heart of the conservative movement”

The new York times, May 12, 2012

liberTy’s laWsuiT againsT obamaCare reKindled in The CourTs

From the day President Barack Obama signed his controversial health care bill into law, Liberty University has stood at the forefront of the resistance. Filing the first private lawsuit against ObamaCare in March 2010, and continuing to rise every time the courts knock them down, Liberty has charged that the bill violates the First Amendment’s free exercise of religion clause, as well as the 1993 Religious Freedom Restoration Act. At stake is

a clause forcing every employer to provide federally mandated insurance, which would then require them to fund the abortion-inducing drugs included with this insurance coverage.

In 2011, their case was barred from being heard in the courts. On Nov. 26, 2012, the university’s appeal claiming that ObamaCare violated religious freedom and that vital parts of the lawsuit had been ignored by the courts, was heard. The Supreme Court agreed that the school’s case challenging the constitutionality of ObamaCare could go forward. At one point that day, nearly 100 news stories per hour were being generated about the case.

Media InquiriesWe appreciate your interest in the university. All media inquiries are handled by the Media and Public Relations Office. Johnnie Moore, vice president for communications and spokesperson for the university, coordinates with media outlets from around the globe that wish to photograph or video our Lynchburg, Va. campus, schedule an interview, or simply ask a few questions.

We also recommend that you visit www.Liberty.edu/PressKit, to view our digital press kit. Through this website you can request an interview, read executive bios, find a copy of our doctrinal statement, view Liberty distinctives, and navigate links to more in-depth information.

Johnnie Moorevice President for communications

(434) 582-2250johnnie@liberty.edu

“Liberty’s cause is far more compelling. It is fully consistent with American values that the highest law of the land should protect individuals from having their government compel them to act

directly against their core beliefs.”Washington times, nov. 26, 2012

° Videos° Photos for download° Quotes, Newsfeed° Extensive background information

More information is availablein the online press kit:

Training Champions for Christ since 1971

1971 UNiVeRSitY BlVd. | lYNCHBURg, Va 24502

/LibertyUniversity @LibertyU Download the app!

www.Liberty.edu/PressKit